1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a program providing apparatus and its method and a program receiving apparatus and its method, and more particularly, is suitably applied to a program providing system for providing pay programs to the viewers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the program providing system which distributes various programs to viewers through, for example, a communication satellite and cables has been realized. The broadcaster obtains self-chosen programs comprising various contents and respectively allocates each program to the set time zone so as to broadcast it.
In a case that a viewer selects the pay-per-view program (pay for each program) among a plurality of programs distributed in this way by using a receiver to view it, the viewing record of the pay-per-view program is uploaded to the upper accounting organ by a modem built in the receiver.
However, since the pay-per-view program is a program having the subject that the broadcaster has prefigured the number of viewers for themselves and obtained it, the actual viewers are extremely few. Thereby, when the payment of broadcasting rights is higher than the amount of money collected from the viewers, the broadcaster may suffer big losses.
The mechanism is not proposed yet such that the broadcaster receives applications for viewing by sign-on after the subject of program is obtained. It has been quite difficult that the number of people who applies for viewing of the program is previously measured before sign-on in order to determine whether or not the broadcaster actually broadcasts the program.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a program providing apparatus and its method and a program receiving apparatus and its method which can establish a smooth and unwasted program supply route.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a program providing apparatus comprising: distributing means for distributing program guide information representing the program subject which will be broadcasted; subscription receiving part for receiving subscription information from a person who has received the distributed program guide information and wishes to subscribe the program; and charging means for charging a person who wishes to subscribe for a subscription charge on the basis of the subscription information; wherein the distributing means, using the subscription charge collected by the charging means, produces or purchases the program and distributes the program as a broadcast signal.
As a result, the program providing apparatus makes it possible to provide only programs that meet the viewer""s demand at all time, and to hardly suffer a loss with few earnings obtained from the viewers in the case that the program is actually broadcasted.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a program providing method comprising the steps of: distributing program guide information representing the program subject which will be broadcasted; receiving subscription information from a person who has received the distributed program guide information and wishes to subscribe the program; and charging a person who wishes to subscribe for a subscription charge on the basis of the subscription information; wherein distributing the program produced or purchased by using the subscription charge collected at the step of charging.
As a result, the program providing method makes it possible to provide only programs that meet the viewer""s demand at all time, and to hardly suffer a loss with few earnings obtained from the viewers in the case that the program is actually broadcasted.
Still further, the present invention provides a program receiving apparatus investing in a preferred program comprising: receiving means for receiving program guide information representing the program subject which will be broadcasted by a program providing apparatus; and transmitting means for transmitting subscription information and accounting information to the program providing apparatus when desiring to subscribe the program after having determined whether or not to desire to subscribe the program based on the received program guide information; wherein the receiving means receives the profits at a predetermined rate gained from a viewing charge for the program which is produced or purchased with the charge taken according to the accounting information and distributed by Pay Per View by the program providing apparatus.
As a result, in the program receiving apparatus, the viewers who have invested the subscription charge are not only ensured to subscribe for the program subject, but can obtain the dividend in reward for the amount invested at a subscription. Thereby, the subscription frequency of the program subject by the viewers can be increased.
Further yet, the present invention provides a program receiving method investing in a preferred program, comprising the steps of: receiving program guide information representing the program subject which will be broadcasted by a program providing apparatus; transmitting subscription information and accounting information to the program providing apparatus when desiring to subscribe the program after having determined whether or not to desire to subscribe the program based on the received program guide information; and receiving the profits at a predetermined rate gained from a viewing charge for the program which is produced or purchased with the charge taken according to the accounting information and distributed by Pay Per View by the program providing apparatus.
As a result, in the program receiving method, the viewers who have invested the subscription charge are not only ensured to subscribe for the program subject, but can obtain the dividend in reward for the amount invested at a subscription. Thereby, the subscription frequency of the program subject by the viewers can be increased.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.